Simone Biles Is Now the Most Decorated Gymnast—Female or Male—of All Time
Simone Biles‘s greatness as a gymnast—on the mat, on the balance beam, and on the bars—can’t be overstated. Just days ago, she was crowned the most decorated female gymnast of all time at the gymnastics world championships in Stuttgart, Germany. And after a record-breaking performance on Sunday morning (October 13), her G.O.A.T. status has been cemented.
Biles became the most decorated gymnast, male or female, of all time by cinching two more gold medal wins at the gymnastics world championships. With gold medals in the balance beam and floor exercise, Biles has now earned a total of 25 world championship medals (19 of which are gold). The previous record-holder for the greatest number of medals won at the world championships was male gymnast Vitaly Scherbo of Belarus, who has 23 medals. His record hadn’t been touched for 23 years, the New York Times reports.
Biles hard-earned wins came after two very different performances. First: her floor routine. She’s always been a pro at the floor exercise, so her gold medal in that category didn’t take spectators by surprise. The balance beam, however, has been more of a challenge for Biles in recent competitions—but she walked away with gold regardless. Watch the video, below, where Biles finds out she won the balance beam event, breaking the world record.
Speaking with reporters after her historic win, Biles said she was “thrilled” with her performance. “It was probably the highlight,” Biles said. “It meant a lot because Cecile [Landi, her coach] has really been working on bringing my confidence back up to where it used to be on the beam, so to go out there and nail the routine just like I do in practice, it felt really good and I know she was really proud.”
Biles’s new title takes on extra meaning when the total number of events for male and female gymnasts are compared. Female gymnasts can only compete in six events at the world championships; men compete in eight. Biles had two fewer opportunities at each world championship to medal, yet she’s now ahead of the previous male record-holder.